The Treasury of Lives

Sumpa Damcho Gyatso (sum pa dam chos rgya mtsho) was born in the last quarter of the sixteenth century in a small town in Amdo called Sumpa near the where he would later help build Gonlung Jampa Ling Monastery (dgon lung byam pa gling). The name of his father was Sumpa Dondub (sum pa don grub). Sources have it that he studied in his home region, where he possibly became a monk at a young age.

Damcho Gyatso travelled to Tsang and enrolled in the Shartse Dratsang of Tashilhunpo Monastery (bkra shis lhun po'i shar rtse grwa tshang) where he began his advanced studies in the collected topics of logics and epistemology (bsdus tshad). He then matriculated in Gomang Dratsang of Drepung Monastery where he studied the Five Treatises of Maitreya (byams chos sde lnga), Nāgārjuna's six treatises on the Middle Way (dbu ma rigs tshogs drug), Abhidharma (mngon pa), and Vinaya ('dul ba) under the tutorship of Jampa Lhundrub (mkhas mchog byams pa lhun grub, d.u.). Damcho Gyatso gave special attention to studying Vinaya, and received commentarial teaching five times.

Damcho Gyatso then enrolled in Gyume College, focusing his studies on the tantric teachings of Tsongkhapa. After completing his studies he left for Chamdo where he had the opportunity to study with the Fourth Pakpa Lha, Pakpa Chokyi Gyelpo ('phags pa lha 04 chos kyi rgyal po, 1605-1643), the Sixteenth abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling (chab mdo byams pa gling), a major Geluk monastery in Chamdo. Pakpa Lha gave him teachings and esoteric instructions relating to the six deities of Mitra (mi tra lha drug). Later Damcho Gyatso was appointed as lobpon (slob dpon), the education-master of Chamdo Jampa Ling. Afterwards Damcho Gyatso was called Sumpa Lobpon or Sumpa Ponlob (sum pa slob dpon / sum pa dpon slob).

Damcho Gyatso returned to his hometown and worked with Gyelse Donyo Chokyi Gyatso (rgyal sras don yod chos kyi rgya mtsho, d.u.) on the creation of the new monastery of Gonlung Jampa Ling, which the later had set up in 1604. Although he attempted to settle in a remote hermitage called Jangchubling (byang chub gling) for personal practice, in 1609, the earth-bird year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, he had to accept the post of abbot of Gonlung Jampa Ling after frequent requests from Chokyi Gyatso. He served the abbacy for three years, giving comprehensive teachings on a variety of topics including guru-yoga, Lamrim, and the three principle aspects of the path.

Damcho Gyatso extended stipends and built facilities for the monks who engage in serious studies. He also strictly enforced the rules and regulations and the observation of monastic vows. His service to education at Gonlung produced a number of prominent monks, including Jampa Cho Gyatso, who later served as the second abbot of Kumbum (sku 'bum khri 02 'jam pa chos rgya mtsho, 1571-1635); the First Changkya, Drakpa Ozer (lcang skya 01 grags pa 'od zer, d. 1641); and Denma Tsultrim Gyatso, who later served as the eighth abbot of Gonlung (dgon lung khri 08 'dan ma tshul khrims rgya mtsho 1587-1664).

While in office Sumpa Damcho Gyatso sent representatives to Lhasa to make offerings to leading lamas there. The party of monks was led by Sonam Rinchen (bsod nams rin chen, d.u.) and Sanggye Gyatso (dbon po sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, d.u.). Presumably they made offerings to the Fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 04 yon tan rgya mtsho, 1589-1617) and made tea and monetary offerings to monks at the major Geluk monasteries in U-Tsang. They returned with a renowned painting of Pelden Lhamo (dpal ldan lha mo) that was later prominently installed in the Lhamo temple at Gonlung.

In 1621, the iron-bird year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, less than ten years after he initially stepped down from Gonlung abbacy, Damcho Gyatso returned to the abbot's seat. He was enthroned as the fourth abbot of the monastery and served for about seven years, mainly focusing his efforts on education. He introduced a tradition of six sessions of studies in each year and taught various topics. He also renovated the Assembly Hall of the monastery and commissioned a number of items of object of faiths during the tenure.

Around 1627 he returned the remote hermitage Jangchubling and entered into an intensive practice presumably until his nirvana some twenty-five years later, in 1651.